Most parents feel thrilled when their teens take on the responsibility of a part-time job during high school.

Cousins Margaux Bonin, 16, and Emily Pascale, 15, took it a step further and started their own businesses.

Margaux, a sophomore at Dunmore High School, became interested in monogramming after noticing the trend during trips to the Delaware beach with her mother, Patrice Bonin. She browsed Pinterest in earnest and by early August last year, Ms. Bonin convinced her daughter to give it a try as a way to earn money.

"My mom runs a preschool and is a successful businesswoman," Margaux said, adding that while her mom served as entrepreneurial inspiration, she considers Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis to be her style icon.

With her mom's help, Margaux bought a monogramming machine, which she operates at home and uses to monogram non-clothing items like jewelry and rain boots. Her aunt, Lynn Nelson, spent about a month learning how to use the equipment, then trained Margaux.

Family affair

The business, appropriately called Margaux's Monograms, quickly took off, but people began requesting monogrammed clothing, which needed to be done on a different machine.

"My aunt (Patrice Bonin) was complaining she always had to turn the embroidery over to someone else," said Emily.

"My mom has always been really good at sewing and crafting, so finally she (Mrs. Bonin) said, 'Maurita, you should do this as a business, too.' "

Instead, Mrs. Pascale taught Emily how to do it.

A couple weeks later, the Pascales invested in an embroidery machine and software, and Emily's Embroidery became a subdivision of Margaux's Monograms.

When they're not in school, the girls work as a team to create custom orders of hats, shoe clips, jewelry, scarves, shirts and more. They market their products on social media by incorporating monogrammed items into entire looks and presenting stylized visuals for customers to browse.

Emily's fashion influence stems from her interest in observing trends and bending them to fit her own ideas, rather than following them exactly, she said.

"I like to take old things and style them new," the freshman at Abington Heights High School explained. She counts singer Taylor Swift and many of her peers at school as style inspirations.

Keeping busy

Each order takes roughly a couple weeks to complete, and with Scranton's St. Patrick's Day Parade around the corner, the girls are plenty busy with orders for festive monogrammed clothing and accessories. So much so that they've been able to cover the monthly payments for the machinery they work with and reinvest profits into the companies for samples and supplies.

Margaux plans to continue monogramming through college and even after, she said. It's hard work, and finding time to make orders in between schoolwork and extracurricular activities isn't easy, but the girls said they're happy with the end product.

Aside from Instagram and Facebook accounts, Margaux's Monograms and Emily's Embroidery capture audiences at local trunk shows. The customized creations were featured at the Hilton Scranton and Conference Center during March's First Friday event, and a display show at Bar Hill on Ash Street is in the works for late March.

"I think we have two short-term goals: Trying to get a website and a store," Margaux said.

"We're just trying to get people to see it (the product) more," Emily added. "Social media is huge, but seeing it in person and touching it and holding it up to your outfit really helps."

In the meantime, Margaux and Emily continue their marketing campaign on an interpersonal level, gaining customers through positive word of mouth.

"Most people we know love it," Emily said of the various monogrammed items they also wear. "When I tell people it's hand customized, they're always really impressed."

"A lot of teachers and friends ask me about it," Margaux said. "A lot of my mom's friends have spread the word and love what we are doing. The response has been great."

Future plans: To study business Margaux's Monograms and Emily's Embroidery

On Instagram: Margauxs_Monograms and EmilysEmbroidery

On Facebook: Like the fan page for Margaux's Monograms

Email: emilysembroidery1@gmail.com or margauxsmonograms@yahoo.com

Call: 570-575-9446 or 570-947-6680

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